Production timeline
Professional printing goes far beyond simply hitting 'print' on a standard office inkjet.Ensuring quality output involves setting up sophisticated printing machinery followed by precise folding, cutting, and meticulous binding. Each step requires a significant amount of time and attention to detail to produce high-quality results.
Turnaround time
Our Instant Price Calculator not only provides you with printing costs but also an estimated dispatch date. While the calculator is quite precise, the actual printing time can vary based on the product you choose and the size of your print order.
For smaller quantities, we use a Digital presses which offers a quicker turnaround. Larger quantities, however, are printed on Litho presses and generally require more time. Rest assured, our calculator automatically selects the most efficient printing method for your needs.
If you're in a rush and need an order processed quickly, we can expedite it using our Express Prodcution service for an additional fee. Please select the 'Need it Quicker' option.
Please also get in touch if your order is urgent or if timing is critical.
Learn more about Digital vs Litho
Digital production
Digital printing involves very low initial costs, making it a great option for smaller print runs,. At YouLovePrint, we utilise advanced digital offset technology to ensure exceptional print quality.
Key aspects of digital printing:
- Ideal for small print runs (hundreds of units)
- Minimal setup costs
- Reasonable cost per unit
Which printing press do we use?
We operate 5 HP Indigo offset presses. High-performance printers that are both fast and precise, capable of meeting even the most demanding deadlines.
What type of printing press setup is required?
Your artwork is converted into a raster image file, and this is transferred to the press to form a 'digital offset plate' during the printing process. The operator also has to selet the correct paper and ensure tha the image being printed is of high quality before the main run commences.
What is the print production time?
For a typical digital print run of 100 booklets, the production time is about 5working days. This timeframe covers all stages from printing and lamination to folding, cutting, binding, and packing, as well as packing and dispatch.
Factors such as the product type, chosen lamination and binding can all influence production times.
Litho production
Litho printing involves a more detailed setup process. We stick to the classic method, where images are first inked onto a metal plate, then transferred to a rubber blanket, and finally to the paper, ensuring crisp, clean prints.
Key aspects of litho printing:
- Ideal for high-volume print runs (thousands of copies)
- Higher initial setup costs
- Very cost-effective per unit
Note: Our instant price calculator will suggest litho printing once your order reaches a certain quantity.
Which printing press do we use?
We use Heidelberg Speedmaster XL106 presses. The Heidelberg Speedmaster excels in industrial-scale printing, delivering consistent, high-quality results.
What’s needed for the printing press setup?
Before we can print your design, we need to separte the images into the four CMYK colour channles and make a metal plate for each which are then mounted onto the press. The operstor then has to load the correct psper and then ensure that each colour is printing correctly to the correct densithy and in 'fit'. This complex preparation leads to longer setup times and higher initial costs typical of litho printing.
What about the print production timeline?
Typically, the print production time for a litho print run lenghts are around 5-7 working days. Our CSR team will advise a more accurate disaptch date when your job is received based on its specifiction and our prodcution schedule.
This is a Heidelberg Speedmaster printing press
Potential delays
Our ordering system offers estimated shipping dates. However, exceptionally large orders or bespoke requests might extend production times slightly. Rest assured, we will keep you informed of any delays.
Should we encounter any quality assurance issues during production, we will get in touch with you straight away. There may be minor delays while our production team addresses any aspects of the work that don't meet our exacting standards.
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